The Athlete's Palate: Chef Richard Sandoval

A Mexican chef takes his cooking--and his running--all around the world

As a young adult, Richard Sandoval had hopes of becoming a professional tennis star. But after a tough stint on the European circuit, the Mexico City native "turned to what I really enjoyed: cooking," he says. Instead of world tennis domination, he went for world food domination. Now 40, Sandoval is the chef-owner of 14 Latin-style restaurants in the United States, Mexico, and Dubai, with five more locations slated to open by the end of the year.

Juggling restaurants in three countries has forced Sandoval to fine-tune his exercise routine. "Tennis is hard to manage with my travel schedule," he says, "so I started running three years ago. Wherever I go I know where the closest gym is, and I squeeze in three to five miles on the treadmill most mornings."

Sandoval's restaurants feature "modern Mexican" cuisine, his term to describe blending Mexican ingredients with flavors and cooking techniques from other countries. His shrimp noodle salad uses ginger and jalape?o chiles, creating an Asian-Latin dish. Sometimes he'll swap in beef, chicken, or tofu. And the dish travels well--perfect for the always-on-the-road chef. "It has a good balance of protein and carbs," he says, "and I can just pack it in a container and take it on the plane."

Favorite ingredient: "I love chiles. Depending on how you prepare the peppers, you get a totally different flavor that enhances the dish."Favorite running tunes: "All kinds of Latin music, but mostly fast-tempo mariachi."Favorite postrun meal: "Ceviche, because it's really light and fresh-tasting and you get a lot of protein from the fish."Where to find him: Maya, 1191 First Avenue, New York City; 212-585-1818; modernmexican.com